Floor mat



Oct. 24, 1950 J CHAPMAN 2,527,116

FLOOR MAT Filed Aug. 20. 1948 Patented Get. 24, i950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

I 1 I J I I 2,527,116 I I h FLOOR MAT .2 vJoseph Gaylord Chapman, Columbia, Mo.

' Application August 20, 1948, Serial No. 45,262

My invention relates to floor mats, and more particularly to floor mats having'resilient'characteristics, whereby to protect the feet of users from fatigue. Specifically, the mat according to the invention relates'to floor mats adapted to be used by workers the nature of whose jobs requires that they stand on their feet substantially the entire working day. Thus, the mat according ito the invention is specifically adapted for useby barbers, dentists, sales personnel, machine operators, and'othersiwho seldom have a chance to sit down.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved resilient floor mat. n

A further object is to provide'an improved-resilient floor'matwhich includes a flat member of cushio'ning material and a cover member for the same providing a wear surface, said cover member being readily detachably connected to said flat member.

Other objects and advantagesres'ide in the particular structure of the invention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mat according to the invention, parts being broken away to show the interior thereof;

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the mat of Fi ure 1; r

I Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the mat on a reduced scale, with the cushioning insert removed;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cushioning insert apart from the rest of the structure, parts being broken away;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Cushionin floor mats are well known and generally comprise either a body of cushioning material alone, or a body of cushioning material in- 2 Claims; (01. 154-49) tegrally connected to a top layer providing a wear rigid material, such as hard rubber.

the entire mat must be replaced. These difficulties are overcome by the mat according to the invention. Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, I0 designates generally the cushion-providing portion of the mat which comprises a substantially fiat member of laminated construction. Thus, the cushioning member ID comprises an upper and relativelythick layer of any suitable cushioning material, such as sponge rubber, and a relatively thin backing sheet l2 of relatively Preferably, the cushioning layer II and the backin sheet 12 are integrally connected together in any suitable manner, as by the adhesive [3.

= To protect the upper surface of the cushioning layer against wear, I have provided a relatively flat cover [4, the under surface of which is formed witha'cavity i5 which is complementary to'the cushioning memb'er land-which is adapted to receive the latter therein with a -close fit. Out-"- wardly of the recess IS, the cover I 4 is provided with a relatively wide marginal portion I6 and a similar marginal portion I1 is provided laterally inwardly of the recess. The upper surface of the outer marginal portion l6 may be downwardly beveled, as at la. The purpose of the marginal portions i6 and I1 is to give rigidity to the marginal portions defining the recess I 5, whereby the same is unlikely to be distorted in use. At the same time, such marginal portions give weight to the cover and tend to maintain the same fiat against the floor, whereby the cushioning member I0 is prevented from escaping from the recess l5. In this connection, it should be noted that no particular means for connecting the cushioning member l0 to the cover l4 are contemplated other than the frictional engagement of the side walls of the recess l5 with the side edges of the insert ID.

The upper surface I 9 of the cover I4 is substantially flat, but is preferably formed with a plurality of grooves 20, best seen in Figure 6 and Figure l, which permits the circulation of air beneath the feet of the user and to some extent cool the feet.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the mat according to the invention will last indefinitely in so far as the cushioning member Ill is concerned, as new covers l4 may be furnished at relatively low cost as soon as they are worn out. The particular embodiment of the mat shown on the drawing is of segmental construction, whereby it is readily adapted to fit around the pedestal 4 ment being provided with a semicylindrical cutout having its periphery disposed in spaced relation with respect to the periphery of said segment, the marginal portion of the other face of said segment being uniformly tapered inwardly and upwardly from said one face of said segment to the other face thereof, there being a plurality of groups of radially extending slots provided in the remaining portion of said other faceof. said'segment for the circulation of air beneath the feet of a user, said one face of said segment being provided with a recess extending inwardly therefrom and terminating at a 1. In a cushion floor mat, a solid semicylindrical segment fabricated of hard rubber and having one face adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, the straight edge of said segment being provided with a semicylindr'ic'al cutout having its periphery disposed in spaced rela-' tion with respect to the periphery of said segment, the marginal portion of. the other face of said segment being uniformly tapered inwardly and upwardly from said one face of said segment to the other face thereof, there being a plurality of groups of radially extending slots provided in the remaining portion of saidotherface of said segment for the circulation of air beneath the feet of a user, said one face of said segment being provided with a recess extendinginwardly therefrom and terminating at a point adjacent to and spaced from the other face of said segment, the bounding walls of said recess being disposed in substanial alignment with the meeting edges of the marginal and remaining portions of said other face of said segment, and cushioning means shapedcomplernentary to said recess and frietionally engageable with the. bounding walls thereof. j M 2. In a cushion floormat, a solid semicylindrical segment fabricated of hard rubber and having one face 'adapted to -;re st upon a-supporting surface, the straight, edge of ,said'segpoint adjacent to and spaced from the other face of said segment, the bounding walls of said recess "being disposed in substantial alignment with the ,meeting edgesv of the marginal and remaining portions'of said other face of said segment, and cushioning means shaped complementary to said recess and frictionally engageable with the bounding walls thereof, said cushioning means comprising a thin backing sheet having one face adapted to rest upon said supporting surface, and a thick cushioning member resting upon said backing sheet and .secured thereto.

JOSEPH GAYLORD CHAPMAN.

l li li cEi lTE The following referencesare-ofrecord in the file of this'patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS" Date Number Name 1,505,558 ,Qrabowski i e Aug. 19,1924 1,789,875 Loudenslager Jam-20, 1931 1,883,737 7, Duffy i Oct. s, 1932 1,905,371. Duffy- Apr. 25,1933

2,099,809 j iN ov.'23,;1937

- "FOREIGN Pa'rEN- rs" A Country Date .i 

